Big "App-ortunities" for the Camera Industry - by Markus Wierzoch
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Artefact Report Big “App-ortunities” for the Camera Industry by Markus Wierzoch Copyright © 2011, Artefact, All Rights Reserved.
Issue #03 Big ‘App-ortunities’ for the Camera Industry by Markus Wierzoch Artefact Reports / 2
Background Camera manufacturers like
Olympus or Canon want their
users to install the latest
Camera makers still think of the embedded software on
“firmware” – which are by
their devices as “firmware,” whereas the mobile phone definition “fixed, usually rather
small, programs and/or data
industry has taken the next step and sees their offerings
structures that internally
as “operating systems” or “software platforms.” control various electronic
devices” (Wikipedia)
While it is thus still somewhat of an afterthought Apple’s iOS claims to be the
most advanced mobile
within cameras, software enhances the imaging-related “operating system”, while
capabilities in smartphones and sometimes turns them Google’s Android is marketed
as a “software platform”
into the better camera.
This creates a demand for the same interactivity within the
digital camera arena. We believe the embedded software
that comes with cameras will be more integrated with
the device and it will be expandable through apps. Digital
Cameras will become “smart cams.”
The Latest Trends
Smartphone Photo Apps turn the Devices into
Camera Competitors
According to Distimo, the five most popular mobile
software platforms and their respective online software
retailers are:
1. Apple iOS – iTunes App Store
2. Google Android – Android Market
3. Nokia Symbian – Ovi Store
4. HP Palm WebOS – App Catalog
5. Windows Phone – Marketplace
The two largest online retailers of mobile applications -
iTunes App Store and Android Market - have been a huge
success. Since their opening on July 10, 2008 and October
22, 2008, the services have grown from zero to offer
292,461 (iTunes App Store Metrics) and 170,000 Apps
(AndroLib App Stats) respectively.
In the months of August, September and October 2010,
both Android Market and the iTunes App Store are growing
at a rate of just under 18K and 20K Apps per month (App
Store Metrics, AndroLib App Stats).
According to Gartner, mobile app sales will exceed US$4.5
billion in 2010 and the research firm expects that number
to quadruple within the coming three years.
While Android Market does not call out photography apps
as a category (the search for “photo” on AndroLib yields
around 5,100 results), there are presently 5,300 iPhone
photography apps, and the category is growing at a rate of
around 20 Applications per day.
Issue #03 Big ‘App-ortunities’ for the Camera Industry by Markus Wierzoch Artefact Reports / 3
The above November 2010
chart based on data by Distimo
illustrates the app market
Android Market and Apple’s
iTunes App Store are the
biggest Mobile App Retailers,
both in terms of revenue, as
well as amount of apps
available
Photography-centered apps are mainly based around the > Night Camera that enhances the low-light capabilities
following five topics: of the devices camera,
> all enhance the photographic capabilities of the device
1. Post-processing: Software like Adobe Photoshop Express, they are installed on.
Hipstamatic and Face Match are mainly concerned with the
post-processing of images, either to manipulate the imaging 4. Learning: A small amount of apps like Nikon’s “Learn &
data or enhance the photo through additional information, Explore” or “Photography Trainer” are targeted at teaching
such as face recognition. photography to their users. Interestingly, also the prosumer
camera Sony NEX-5 helps to learn photography.
2. Sharing: A slew of apps is available that connect with
social media sites, and some – like Instagram – even 5. Display: While programs like MobileMe Gallery or
created new photo-centric sharing services. The “usual PhotoFrame also connect to online services, their main
suspects” Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket and others all feature purpose is to display photos on the device.
dedicated apps to access the respective service from a
mobile device. Camera Hardware Technology sets the Stage for the
Software
3. Enhanced photographic functionalities: Apps like A prerequisite for an extended user experience is the
> Pano, which facilitates the creation of panoramic inclusion of natural user interfaces, which enable the flexible
pictures on mobile devices, controls that a wide range of apps require.
> StopMotion Recorder, that helps with the creation of
small animations Over the past 1-2 years, the industry has seen a foray of
> Remotomatic, which turns one mobile device into the product releases that meet these needs, first and foremost,
photo-remote-control of another or cameras that incorporate touchscreens.
Issue #03 Big ‘App-ortunities’ for the Camera Industry by Markus Wierzoch Artefact Reports / 4
Photo-centric apps like
Hipstamatic, Flickr,
Remotomatic, StopMotion
Recorder, Nikon Learn &
Explore or MobileMe Gallery
make for only 2% of all iTunes
App Store software, yet are
popular with iOS-users
(Sources: www.apple.com/
iphone/apps-for-iphone)
The Kodak V1273 and V1073 IS,
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500,
Fujifilm Finepix Z300, and
Panasonic GF2 are a few of the
touchscreen-enabled cameras
that have hit the market in the
past year (Sources: www.
kamera-digital.com, www.
photographyreview.com, www.
quesabesde.com, www.
dpreview.com)
Issue #03 Big ‘App-ortunities’ for the Camera Industry by Markus Wierzoch Artefact Reports / 5
Beyond the obvious choice of touchscreens, other input This trend echoes a lesson from the mobile app markets:
sensors (e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.) have been A broad developer base can offer more capability than
implemented into smartphones and cameras. These also any single camera maker. It makes sense for some
allow for flexible interaction methods and can be used to manufacturers to open up their cameras as app platforms
control camera functionalities. or base their interaction on platforms that are already open.
Open Source Cameras Use an underlying Software Next to a touch screen, the
Canon SD3500 also introduces
Platform an accelerometer to enhance
While the camera industry has been slow to adapt to current the user interface and with it
the user experience (Sources:
trends, several open source projects aim to create both soft- www.digiphotomag.com, www.
ware and hardware platforms for a new generation of cameras. camerabang.com)
While Qi Hardware’s Xué Camera project has just been
initiated in July 2010 and is currently only in the stage of
software development, Utah-based Elphel has been building
high performance cameras based on free software and
hardware designs since 2001.
Stanford University’s Frankencamera has gotten much
publicity in recent months. The Computer Graphics
Laboratory has designed and implemented an open
architecture and application programming interface (API)
for digital cameras based on Linux. This allows “apps” for
photographic needs to be installed on the device. Among
others, Stanford has released software for HDR capture
and low-light viewfinding. The API is already available for
download and testing on the Nokia N900 mobile computer.
Elphel’s current Model 353
comes in different
configurations that allow
geotagging, internal and
external storage, and
stereoscopic and panoramic
images (Sources: www.elphel.
com)
Issue #03 Big ‘App-ortunities’ for the Camera Industry by Markus Wierzoch Artefact Reports / 6
The modular Elphel camera
uses an open source Linux
operating system and features
a web-based graphical user
interface
In this YouTube video Stanford
professor of computer science
and electrical engineering Marc
Levoy and graduate student
Andrew Adams show the
Frankencamera (Sources: www.
graphics.stanford.edu, www.
hothardware.com)
Opportunities
A camera software platform
The future of the camera industry lies within the
development of software platforms for their devices. Next
to defining the encompassing user experience, the question
of “open vs. closed” needs to be addressed: Apple iOS is
closed. Its success is interrelated with the outstanding user
experience, which Apple specializes in. Camera makers have
several options to create a great product:
1. Closed: Camera manufacturers could invest in new
software capability that they build themselves. They stand
to gain competitive advantage, but unlike Apple they have
a poor track record for desktop and onboard interfaces,
and they can’t do as much work as an independent
developer community. Integration of natural user interfaces
Current and new NUI technologies such as touch,
2. Open: A camera brand could support 3rd party accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. have to be explored for
developers and may get more capable or interesting use within digital cameras for fun and efficient usage as
devices as a result. But fragmented cell phone app well as more capable applications.
markets showed that developers won’t flock to develop for
only one camera maker. Putting the “App” in aperture*
The development of apps will be key for the camera
3. Open Source: The camera maker could share an open industry. Many activities manufacturers relegated to the
platform (not unlike the Open Handset Alliance) in order to computer will be valuable onboard, as the mobile app
get more and hopefully better user experiences with a broad market has proven. These software packages will mostly
user population. However, they lose competitive advantage. (but not solely) be based on the following areas:
From Artefact’s point of view it might be in the interest of > Post-processing
the consumer to initiate the latter platform, as option a) > Sharing
might prove to be too difficult to be done well and option > Enhanced photographic functionalities
b) would result in a fragmented market that does not have > Learning
sufficient momentum to succeed. > Display
Issue #03 Big ‘App-ortunities’ for the Camera Industry by Markus Wierzoch Artefact Reports / 7
Excercises
1. There is evidence a software platform enhances 4. If you were to develop a software platform, would you
the concept of a digital camera for the user. Brainstorm do it on your own or jointly with the competition? Who
a list of the potential benefits for the camera would your allies be?
manufacturer. 5. What are possible natural user interfaces and where
2. What if your biggest competitor were to develop could they be used within a digital camera system? How
a software platform or adopt an open one? How would would they add value to the user?
your company respond? 6. How would the top five types of camera apps (Adobe
3. For your company, what would be your biggest Photoshop Express, Color Splash, Hipstamatic, Instagram,
obstacle to developing a software platform? What would FX Photo Studio) add value for the camera user? How
be the biggest obstacle to adopting another platform? could they enhance the camera brand?
References and Examples
Firmware vs. Software Platform
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/software_results. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flickr/id328407587?mt=8
asp?id=1482&os=m http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picasafoto/id338813722?mt=8
http://www.canon.com/eos-d/ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photobucket/id314439840?mt=8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firmware http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pano/id293709029?mt=8
http://www.apple.com/iphone/ios4/ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stopmotion-recorder/
http://source.android.com/about/index.html id373313019?mt=8
http://gizmodo.com/5696697/the-hipstamatic-war-photography-of- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id398181866?mt=8
the-ny-times http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/night-camera/id296186779?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nikon-learn-explore-photo/
Smartphone Photo Apps turn the Devices into id330046127?mt=8
Camera Competitors http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photography-trainer/
http://www.distimo.com/ id370525019?mt=8
http://www.apple.com/iphone/ios4/ http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/SonyNex5Nex3/page4.asp
http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobileme-gallery/id350223710?mt=8
http://www.android.com/ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photoframe/id293017389?mt=8
http://www.android.com/market/
http://www.symbian.org/ Camera Hardware Technology sets the Stage for the Software
http://store.ovi.com/ http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08010801kodakvseries.asp
http://www.palm.com/us/products/software/webos2/index.html http://www.dpreview.com/news/0803/08031802panasonicfx500.asp
http://www.palm.com/us/products/software/mobile-applications. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0906/09061202fujifinepixz300.asp
html http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/1011/panasonic/GF2k_hand4.jpg
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/ http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10020803canonsd3500is.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/howto/wp7/apps/
find-and-buy-apps-in-marketplace.aspx Open Source Cameras Use an underlying Software Platform
http://www.slideshare.net/distimo/distimo-mobile-world-congress- http://en.qi-hardware.com/wiki/Xu%C3%A9
2010-presentation-mobile-application-stores-state-of-play http://www3.elphel.com/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store http://www3.elphel.com/importwiki?title=353_in_a_nutshell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_Market http://www3.elphel.com/353_turnkey
http://148apps.biz/app-store-metrics/?mpage=catcount http://www3.elphel.com/importwiki?title=Camogmgui
http://www.androlib.com/appstats.aspx http://graphics.stanford.edu/papers/fcam/
http://gizmodo.com/5199933/giz-explains-all-the-smartphone- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113692571
mobile-app-stores http://fcam.garage.maemo.org/
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_truth_about_mobile_ http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/
application_stores.php http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psi_njPBryE
http://148apps.biz/app-store-metrics/?mpage=appcount
http://www.androlib.com/appstats.aspx Opportunities
http://www.maclife.com/article/news/app_store_nabs_994_mobile_ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Handset_Alliance
app_sales_2009 http://www.physorg.com/news199011645.html
http://148apps.biz/app-store-metrics/?mpage=catcount
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2330881,00.asp Exercises
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-express/ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-express/
id331975235?mt=8 id331975235?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hipstamatic/id342115564?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/color-splash/id304871603?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/face-match-face-recognition/ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hipstamatic/id342115564?mt=8
id310972844?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fx-photo-studio/id312506856?mt=8
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